Rotary pump



May 29, 1951 J. c. MILLER 2,554,536

' V ROTARY PUMP Filed March 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.2.

IN VEN 70R.

3 L7Z7SEPH 6. MLLEE Z ML ATTORNEY May 1951 J. c. MILLER 2,554,536

ROTARY PUMP Filed March 25, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. JO SEPH 6.lV/LLE/F By 7VAm Y ATJ'UBZSZEY J. C. MILLER ROTARY PUMP May 29, 1951 5Sheets-Sheet Filed March 25, 1947 INVENTOR. gbs fi 63 MALE/F PatentedMay 29, 1951 ROTARY PUMP Joseph C. Miller, Detroit, Mich., assignor toCandler-Hill Corporation, Detroit, Mich a cor-..

poration of Michigan App cation. March. 25, 194.7,, Serial N 0. 737,132

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to pumps, and more particularly to rotary pumpshaving improved features of construction.

This invention has for a principal object the provision of a rotary pumpthat is capable of performing its intended functions in an effective andtrouble-free manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an impeller type rotarypump having its parts so constructed and arranged as to permit of readyassembly and dismantling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump having a rotaryshaft operable from the exterior of the pump casing and effectivelysealed against leakage therealong by means contained wholly within thepump casing.

A further object of the invention is to support the drive shaft of arotary pump in an improved arrangement of bearings and sealing means tobalance the pump impeller and minimize the possibility of leakage alongthe surface of the shaft.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pump of thecharacter indicated that is simple, compact and staunch in construction,that is reasonable in initial cost, and that is low in maintenancecosts.

To the end that the above objects may be attained, the pump of thisinvention preferably comprises a two-section casing consisting of a mainbody and a cover detachably secured to the main body. The main body andthe cover are so formed as to obtain opposing pairs of faces,respectively defining a central compartment, an arcuate passageembracing the central compartment, and a circular passage establishingcommunication between the main compartment and the arcuate passage. Theaxial width of the circular passage is substantially less than thecorresponding dimension of either the central compartment or the arcuatepassage. The main body is provided with a liquid inlet port and a liquidoutlet port that communicate with the arcuate passage. The cover has aninternal blind bore that carries a bearing sleeve which is coaxial witha bearing unit positioned within the main body.

An impeller, rotatable with the shaft but movable axially with respectto the shaft, includes a hub portion within the central compartment andhaving at least one through port to equalize the pressure on both sidesof the impeller; an intermediate web portion of reduced thicknesspositioned within the circular passage and having its opposite surfacesclosely adjacent to corresponding faces of the main body and the cover;

and a marginal portion positioned in the arcuate passage. The marginalportion is machined to obtain a plurality of circumferentially. spacedbuckets on opposite sides.

Wholly within the main compartment and to the side of the impellerfacing the bearing unit, is a sealing unit that embraces the shaft andbears against a side surface of an internal flange integral with andforming a part of the main body. Intermediate the sealing unit and thebearing unit is an annular groove formed in the main bodyandcommunicating with a drain port that extends to the exterior of thecasing. A disc, rotatable with the shaft, projects into the annulargroove and serves as a "slinger to direct any liquid that may seep pastthe sealing unit centrifugally to the outer confines of the annulargroove, whence it is withdrawn through the drain port.

The above mentioned objects, as well as other objects, together with theadvantages attainable by the practice of this invention, will be readilyapparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the detaileddescription that follows, taken in conjunction with the annexeddrawings, which respectively describe and illustrate a preferredembodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pump constructed in accordance withthis invention;

Figure 2 is an end view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along staggered line3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along line 4-4 of Figure2;

Figure 5 is a view taken'along line 5-5 ofFigure 1, with parts brokenaway for better illustration;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along arcuate line 66 ofFigure 5; and

Figure 7 is a view taken along line 1-1 ofFigure 1, a portion oftheimpeller being broken away for better illustration.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3and 4, there is illustrated therein a two-section casing generallydenoted by numeral 10 and consisting of a hollow main body or casting Hand a cover l2. Main body H includes a rear tubular boss l3 adapted toaccommodate a bearing unit, to be described further along, and aninternal circular flange [4. An annular groove l5, formed in boss l3immediately adjacentflang e I4, communicates with a tapped port 156'. Apair of lateral wings l channel or passage 25 in the forward end of themain body.

Cover I2 is preferably circular, and includes a' central boss 3|] thatis provided with an internal blind bore 3| for housing a, low-friction,selflubricating bearing sleeve 32 composed principally of graphite. Thecover is detachably secured to the main body by suitable means, in-

eluding a plurality of screws 33 and lock wash ers 34. For the purposeof discouraging tampering with the pump, the cover is additionallycoupled to the main body by a connector assembly 35, best shown inFigures 3 and 5. This connector assembly preferably comprises a cup 36'wax 39 is impressed with a distinctive identifying insignia.

- A rotary'shaft 40 is provided with a pair of annular grooves 4| and 42and is machined at its outer end to obtain a longitudinal flat surface43'for connection to a driving unit (not shown). As is illustrated inFigure 3, the forward end of the shaft is positioned within sleevebearing 32 and the rearward end portion of the shaft is supported in ananti-friction bearing unit 45 that is located within tubular boss l3 ofthe main body. Bearing unit 45 preferably includes an inner bearing ring46, an outer bearing rin 41, a plurality of ball bearings 48 disposedbetween the bearing rings and a pair of combined dust shields andlubricant-retaining seals 49. Main body ll, shaft 40 and bearing unit 45are restrained against relative axial movement, when the parts areassembled as illustrated in Figure 3, through the medium of a firstsplit retainer ring 50, that registers with an annular recess 5| in bossl3 and bears againstthe rearward end surface of outer bearing ring 41,and a second split retainer ring 52, that registers with annular groove4| in shaft 40 and bears against the forward end surface of innerbearing ring 46.

The impeller of'this invention is generally designated by numeral 55 andcomprises a hub portion 56 of substantial thickness for requisitestrength and rigidity; an intermediate web or disc-like portion 51 ofreduced thickness; and a marginal portion 58. Hub portion 56 ispositioned across a central compartment 59 formed by'the casingmain bodyand cover, and has at least one, and preferably a plurality of throughports 60 to equalize fluid pressure on its opposite sides. Intermediateportion 51 of the impeller is positioned in a circular passage definedby opposing internal faces 6] and 62 of main body ll and cover |2,respectively. The marginal portion 58 of the impeller is located in 'ofthe impeller.

.64 on one side of web 63 be staggered with rearcuate passage 25. Thesides of impeller web portion 51 form a. close fit with correspondingadjoining surfaces 6| and 62, sufficient clearance being provided,however, to permit of rotation of the impeller.

Marginal portion 58 is milled or otherwise machined to obtain a circularperipheral web 63 and a series of equi-spaced radial ribs or vanes 64which define a plurality of circumferentially ar-' ranged generallyconcave buckets 65 on each side It is recommended that vanes spect tothe vanes on the opposite side so that the buckets are correspondinglystaggered, as best shown in Figure 6.

Impeller 55 is concentric with and coupled to shaft 40 by a connectormeans, such as a key 66, to effect rotation of the impeller with theshaft but permitting axial movement of the impeller with respect to theshaft, whereby the impeller .is permitted to float axially andintermediate portion 51 may readily seek its proper position betweeninternal faces BI and 62 of the casing during operation.

A sealing unit 10, concentric with shaft 40, is positioned withincentral compartment 59 intermediate impeller 55 and internal'flange I4,and includes a first tubular member 1| having an external flange 12 atone end, and a plurality of angularly spaced slots 13 at its other end.A washer 14 is positioned within tubular member 1|. A second tubularmember 15 has a plurality of laterally projecting teats 16 that registerwith corresponding slots 13. Within the tubular members is a distortablebellows type sealing sleeve 11, preferably made of natural or syntheticrubber, depending upon the liquid to be transmitted by the pump. Alow-friction sealing ring 18,'made of a carbon-containing material, isnon-rotatably positioned in the rearward end of tubular member 1| andbears against the forward face of internal flange M. A helicalcompression spring bears against flange 12 of tubular member 1| and aretainer ring 8|, that, in turn; bears against a resilient split ring 82in annular groove-42 to maintain the rearward end face of ring 18 inengagement with the adjacent surface of internal flange M.

A ring 83 is press-fitted to shaft 40 so as to rotate therewith, andprojects into annular groove l5. This ring serves as a slinger toprevent any of the liquid, that is being handled by the pump and thatmay seep past sealing unit 10, from following the shaft and flowing tobearing unit 45 and thence to the exterior of the pump casing.

In operation, shaft 49 is adapted to be rotated I in a counter-clockwisedirection, as viewed in Figure 2, to impart clockwise rotation toimpeller 55, as viewed in Figure 5. Liquid to be pumped by the structureherein illustrated and described is admitted by way of inlet port 2| andpassage 23 to arcuate passage 25, where it is picked up by impellerbuckets 65 and discharged under pressure through passage 24 and outletport 22 in the usual manner. Any of the liquid in the pump that may leakpast sealing unit 10 is picked up by disc 83, and projected bycentrifugal action to the outermost confines of annular groove I5,flowing by gravity through drain port |6, whence it is disposed of, asdesired, by a conduit (not shown).

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction, operation, andadvantages of my present invention will be readily comprehended by 5persons skilled in the art. It is to be clearly understood, however,that various changes in the apparatus set forth above may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention, it being intendedthat all matter contained in the description 01' shown in the drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In a rotary pump, a casing comprising a main body and a cover attachedto the main body, opposing pairs of faces of the main body and thecover, respectively, defining a central compartment, an arcuate passageembracing the central compartment, and a circular passage intermediatethe central compartment and the arcuate passage and establishingcommunication therebetween, the axial width of the circular passagebeing substantially less than the corresponding Widths of the centralcompartment and the arouate passage, respectively, said cover having ablind internal bore, a first bearing within the bore, a second bearingcarried by the main body and coaxial with the first bearing, a rotaryshaft supported in the bearings, an impeller carried by the shaft,connector means for effecting rctation of the impeller upon rotation ofthe shaft While permitting relative axial movement between the impellerand the shaft, said impeller comprising a hub portion positioned withinthe main compartment, an intermediate web portion of reduced thicknesspositioned Within the circular passage and having its opposite surfacesclosely adjacent to corresponding faces of the main body and the cover,respectively, and a marginal portion positioned in the arcuate passage,said marginal portion having a plurality of circumferem tially spacedbuckets formed on opposite sides, and sealing unit wholly within thecentral compartment intermediate the impeller and the second bearing,said sealing unit embracing the shaft and engaging the casing in amanner to prevent liquid flow along the shaft to the second bearing,said main body having an annular groove intermediate the sealing unitand the second bearing and a drain port establishing communicationbetween the annular groove and the exterior of the casing, and a discrotatable with the shaft and projecting into the annular groove.

JOSEPH C. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 390,332 Andrews Oct. 2, 18881,397,273 Finn Nov. 15, 1921 2,034,549 Abrahamson Mar. 17, 19362,283,844 Brady, Jr May 19, 1942 2,296,640 Hansen Sept. 22, 19422,319,776 Copeland et a1 Nov. 8, 1943 2,426,950 Riede Sept. 2, 1947FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 368,786 Germany Feb. 12, 1943

